Kit which provides a removable top assembly for all-terrain vehicles and the like, and the assembled top thereof

Abstract

A kit which provides a removable top assembly for a vehicle (e.g., all-terrain vehicles) includes a pair of lateral upright supports adapted to being rigidly fixed to a rear portion of the vehicle, forward and rearward generally U-shaped upright support bows adapted to being removably coupled to the lateral supports, and a forwardly extending, generally horizontal support bow adapted to being removably coupled to an upper region of the forward upright support bow. A fabric top component is connected at its forward edge to the horizontal support bow and at its rearward edge to the rearward upright support bow, the forward support bow serving to support the fabric along a region between its forward and rearward edges. When the top assembly is erected, the forward and rearward upright support bows will be inwardly flexed relative to one another so as to exert a tension force upon the fabric top component (i.e., due to the tendency of the upright support bows to separate from one another) to thereby maintain the same in a taunt condition.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A kit which provides a removable top assembly for a vehicle comprising the following components: a pair of lateral upright support members adapted to being rigidly coupled to a rearward portion of the vehicle, each said lateral upright support member having forward and rearward upright support posts;   a first support bow including a first generally U-shaped support rod, and a pair of first elongate support rods each having an upper end adapted to being removably connected to a respective end of said first U-shaped support rod and a lower end adapted to being removably connected to a respective one of said forward upright support posts;   each of said first elongate support rods of said first support bow including a nib which projects outwardly therefrom;   a second support bow including a second generally U-shaped support rod, and a pair of second elongate support rods each having an upper end adapted to being removably connected to a respective end of said second U-shaped support rod and a lower end adapted to being removably connected to a respective one of said rearward upright support posts;   a third support bow including a third generally U-shaped support rod, and a pair of third elongate support rods each having an front end adapted to being removably connected to a respective end of said third U-shaped support rod and rear end adapted to being removably connected to a respective one of said nibs of said first elongate support rods; and   a fabric cover component having a forward edge attached to said third U-shaped support rod, and a rearward edge attached to said second U-shaped support rod.   
     
     
       2. A kit as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first, second and third support bows includes flexible cord means for providing flexible interconnection between at least one of said first, second and third elongate support rods and said respective ends of at least one of said U-shaped support support rods, so as to allow said one of said first, second and third elongate support rods to be foldable onto said at least one of said first, second and third U-shaped support rods, respectively. 
     
     
       3. A kit as in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a windscreen having an upper edge integrally attached to said forward edge of said fabric top component. 
     
     
       4. A kit as in claim 3, wherein said windscreen includes an upper transparent windscreen portion and a lower fabric portion, said lower fabric portion including a transparent window in substantial alignment with a headlight of said vehicle. 
     
     
       5. A kit as in claim 4, wherein said windscreen further includes a headlight shroud which covers said window when in a first position, and is adapted to being draped over the vehicle's headlight when in a second position. 
     
     
       6. A kit as in claim 4, wherein said lower fabric portion includes a bottom loop portion, a transverse rod received in said loop portion, and an elastic cord received in said transverse rod, said cord having opposing terminal ends, each of which includes a hook member adapted to being connected to a forward portion of the vehicle and thus provide positional stability to said windscreen. 
     
     
       7. A kit as in claim 1, wherein said forward upright support posts are substantially vertically oriented, and said rearward upright support posts are rearwardly inclined relative to said forward upright support posts. 
     
     
       8. A kit as in claim 1, further including means adapted to rigidly affix said lateral upright supports to said rearward portion of the vehicle. 
     
     
       9. A kit as in claim 1, further comprising an open-ended bag sized and configured to receive said components when disassembled. 
     
     
       10. A removable vehicle top comprising: a pair of lateral upright supports adapted to being rigid y fixed to a rear portion of the vehicle;   forward and rearward generally U-shaped upright support bows adapted to being removably coupled to said pair of lateral supports so that said forward and rearward support bows are generally transversely oriented with respect to the rear portion of the vehicle;   a forwardly extending horizontal support bow adapted to being removably coupled to an upper region of said forward upright support bow;   a fabric top component having a forward edge connected to a forwardmost extent of said horizontal support bow, and a rearward edge connected to an uppermost extent of said rearward support bow, said fabric top component adapted to being supported by an uppermost extent of said forward support bow along a region between said forward and rearward edges thereof when said vehicle top is erected;   said forward and rearward upright support bows being inwardly flexed relative to one another when said vehicle top is erected so as to provide means for exerting a tension force on said fabric top component between said forward and rearward edges thereof, whereby said fabric top component is maintained in a taunt condition.   
     
     
       11. A vehicle top as in claim 10, wherein said forward and rearward support bows and said horizontal support bows each include a generally U-shaped support rod, a pair of elongate support rods, and means for removably coupling one end of each said elongate support rod to a respective end of an associated one of said generally U-shaped support rods. 
     
     
       12. A vehicle top as in claim 11, wherein each of said elongate support rods includes flexible cord means which flexibly interconnects said one end thereof to said respective end of said associated generally U-shaped support rod, said cord means for allowing said elongate support rods to remain connected to, yet be folded onto, said associated generally U-shaped support rod when disassembled therefrom. 
     
     
       13. A vehicle top as in claim 12, wherein said cord means include elastic cords. 
     
     
       14. A vehicle top as in claim 10, further comprising a windscreen having an upper edge integrally attached to said forward edge of said fabric top component. 
     
     
       15. A vehicle top as in claim 14, wherein said windscreen includes an upper transparent windscreen portion and a lower fabric portion, said lower fabric portion including a transparent window in substantial alignment with a headlight of said vehicle. 
     
     
       16. A vehicle top as in claim 15, wherein said windscreen further includes a headlight shroud which covers said window when in a first position, and is adapted to being draped over the vehicle's headlight when in a second position. 
     
     
       17. A vehicle top as in claim 15, wherein said lower fabric portion includes a bottom loop portion, a transverse rod received in said loop portion, and an elastic cord received in said transverse rod, said cord having opposing terminal ends, each of which includes a hook member adapted to being connected to a forward portion of the vehicle and thus provide positional stability to said windscreen. 
     
     
       18. A vehicle top as in claim 10, wherein each of said lateral upright supports includes a forward upright support post and a rearward upright support post, said forward upright support post being substantially vertically oriented, and said rearward upright support post being rearwardly inclined relative to said forward upright support post. 
     
     
       19. A vehicle top as in claim 10, further including means adapted to rigidly affix said lateral upright supports to said rearward portion of the vehicle. 
     
     
       20. A vehicle top as in claim 10, further comprising an open ended bag sized and configured to receive said top components when disassembled and removed from the vehicle. 
     
     
       21. The combination comprising: an all-terrain vehicle which includes forward and rearward pairs of wheels, an engine mounted substantially midway between said forward and rearward pairs of wheels and providing driven power to at least one of said forward and rearward pairs of wheels, a saddle seat for a vehicle operator extending above said engine, handlebar means coupled to said forward pair of wheels for steering the vehicle, and a removable top assembly, said removable top assembly including: (i) a pair of lateral upright supports rigidly fixed to a rear portion of the vehicle;   (ii) forward and rearward generally U-shaped upright support bows removably coupled to said pair of lateral supports so that said forward and rearward support bows are generally transversely oriented with respect to the rear portion of the vehicle;   (iii) a forwardly extending horizontal support bow removably coupled to an upper region of said forward upright support bow;   (iv) a fabric top component having a forward edge connected to a forwardmost extent of said horizontal support bow, and a rearward end connected to an uppermost extent of said rearward support bow, and being supported by an uppermost extent of said forward support bow along a region between said forward and rearward edges thereof;   (v) said forward and rearward upright support bows being inwardly flexed relative to one another so as to provide means for exerting a tension force on said fabric top component between said forward and rearward edges thereof, whereby said fabric top component is maintained in a taunt condition.     
     
     
       22. The combination as in claim 21, wherein said forward and rearward support bows and said horizontal support bows each include a generally U-shaped support rod, a pair of elongate support rods, and means for removably coupling one end of each said elongate support rod to a respective end of an associated one of said generally U-shaped support rods. 
     
     
       23. The combination as in claim 22, wherein each of said elongate support rods includes flexible cord means which flexibly interconnects said one end thereof to said respective end of said associated generally U-shaped support rod, said cord means for allowing said elongate support rods to remain connected to, yet be folded onto, said associated generally U-shaped support rod when disassembled therefrom. 
     
     
       24. The combination as in claim 23, wherein said cord means include elastic cords. 
     
     
       25. The combination as in claim 21, further comprising a windscreen having an upper edge integrally attached to said forward edge of said fabric top component. 
     
     
       26. The combination as in claim 25, wherein said vehicle includes a headlight, and wherein said windscreen includes an upper transparent vehicle windscreen portion and a lower fabric portion, said lower fabric portion including a transparent window in substantial alignment with the headlight of said vehicle. 
     
     
       27. The combination as in claim 26, wherein said windscreen further includes a headlight shroud which covers said window when in a first position, and is adapted to being draped over the vehicle's headlight when in a second position. 
     
     
       28. The combination as in claim 26, wherein said lower fabric portion includes a bottom loop portion, a transverse rod received in said loop portion, and an elastic cord received in said transverse rod, said cord having opposing terminal ends each of which includes a hook member adapted to being connected to a forward portion of the vehicle and thus provide positional stability to said windscreen. 
     
     
       29. The combination as in claim 21, wherein each of said lateral upright supports includes a forward upright support post and a rearward upright support post, said forward upright support post being substantially vertically oriented, and said rearward upright support post being rearwardly inclined relative to said forward upright support post.